Adjustable holster

• US 5,931,358 A
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Safariland LLC
• Original Assignee: Safariland LLC
• Inventors: Rogers, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Application Number:
  US08/971,393
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 224/193, 224/242, 224/243, 224/245, 224/911, D 3/222
• US Class Current: 224/243
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/02 Holsters, i.e. cases for pistols having means for being carried or worn, e.g. at the belt or under the arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0209 Pouch or pocket like containers for small arms covering all or most of the small arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

An adjustable holster for accommodating a variety of handguns of differing sizes and shapes includes a rigid front spine member and two substantially rigid spine members and two sidewalls. At least one of the sidewalls is constructed of flexible interior, exterior, and core layers wherein the core layer is made of resiliently deformable material that will not stretch. An adjacent member mounted between the rear spine members carries a movable engaging element that contacts a handgun and forces it forwardly against the front of the holster. An upper adjustment screw mounted between the rear spine members is used to pull the spine members and sidewalls together to adjust the draw of the handgun. A lower adjustment screw mounted between the rear spine members is used to pull the rear spine members and sidewalls together to narrow the lower opening of the holster for different size guns. The sidewalls are flexible but not stretchable in order to accommodate a variety of gun widths without the need for repeated adjustment for the specific gun in use.

Claims

1. An adjustable holster comprising a body formed of a pair of elongated sidewalls joined by an elongated front spine member and defining an interior space for a handgun, each said sidewall having an elongated rear spine member therealong, one said sidewall being formed of at least one layer of resiliently deformable non-compressible material, said layer of material being flexible and being substantially unstretchable, adjustable securing means for securing said rear spine members together, selective adjustment means mounted to one said rear spine member inside said interior space of said holster for selectively engaging a handgun located in said interior space to accommodate different shapes and sizes in said holster, and attachment means adapted to secure said holster to a strap to be carried by a user of said holster.

2. The holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said selective adjustment means includes a rigid body member and a movable engaging member carried by said body member, means for moving said engaging member against a surface of a handgun locatable in said holster for forcing a handgun against said front spine member to secure a handgun inside said holster.

3. The holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said front spine member has a predetermined contour being formed to frictionally contact a handgun at two spaced apart locations when placed in said holster for securing a handgun in said holster.

4. The holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjustable securing means includes a first adjustable fastener connecting said rear spine members together at upper portions thereof for selectively pulling said upper portions together, and second adjustable fastener connecting said rear spine member at lower portions thereof for selectively pulling said lower portions together.

5. The holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said front and rear spines are rigid.

6. The holster as defined in claim 1 wherein said front spine member is rigid and said rear spine member is substantially rigid and capable of being flexed upon application of a sufficient bending force.

7. An adjustable holster comprising a body formed of a pair of sidewalls joined by a front spine member and defining an interior space for a handgun, each said sidewall having a rear spine member, each said sidewall being formed of interior, exterior and core layers of deformable material, said core layer being located between said interior and exterior layers, said core layer being of resiliently deformable material and being flexible and being substantially nonstretchable, adjustable securing means for securing said rear spine members together, selective adjustment means mounted to said holster inside said interior space of said holster for selectively engaging a handgun located in said interior space to cause said holster to secure handguns of different shapes and sizes in said holster, and attachment means for connecting said holster to a strap worn by a user of said holster.

8. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said rear spine members have upper portions each having a first passageway therethrough, said selective adjustment means comprising a rigid body member having a lower portion and an upper portion each having opposite sidewalls and a second passageway therethrough, said upper portion being narrower in width than said lower portion to define a space between said upper portions of said rear spine members and said opposite sidewalls of said body member, said selective adjustment means including securing means positioned through both said first passageways and said second passageway for pulling said rear spine members toward each other and said sidewalls of said body member toward each other to selectively narrow said interior space for adjusting the frictional engagement between said sidewalls of said holster and a handgun locatable in said space.

9. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said selective adjustment means includes a rigid body member and a movable engaging member carried by said body member, means for moving said engaging member against a surface of a handgun locatable in said holster for forcing a handgun against said interior layer adjacent said front spine member to secure a handgun inside said holster.

10. The holster as defined in claim 9 wherein said front spine member being formed to frictionally contact a handgun in at least one contact point thereof when said engaging member is in contact with a handgun, said at least one contact point and said engaging member cooperating to secure a handgun in said holster.

11. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said rear spine members include lower portions each having a passageway therethrough, said adjustable securing means including selectively operable fastener means positioned through said passageways and a compressible spacer means located between said lower portions of said rear spine members, said spacer means being compressed by selective operation of said fastener means to narrow said interior space in said holster to secure a handgun therein.

12. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said attachment means includes a rigid cross member attached to an upper portion of one said sidewall for attaching said holster to a strap for carrying said holster by a user.

13. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said front spine member has a predetermined contour being formed to frictionally contact a handgun at two spaced apart locations when placed in said holster for securing a handgun in said holster.

14. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said front spine member is formed to frictionally contact a handgun placed inside said holster at two spaced locations, one said location being adjacent a front top of a handgun and another said location being at a back top of a handgun.

15. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said selective adjustment means includes rigid body member and a movable engaging member carried by said body member, screw means carried by said body member and in contact with said engaging member, said screw means operable for moving said engaging member against a surface of a handgun locatable in a holster for forcing a handgun forwardly against said interior layer adjacent said front spine member to secure a handgun inside said holster.

16. The holster as defined in claim 7 wherein said adjustable securing means includes a first fastener connecting said rear spine members together at upper portions thereof, and a second fastener connecting said rear spine member at lower portions thereof.

17. An adjustable holster comprising a body formed of a pair of sidewalls joined by a front spine member and defining an interior space for a handgun, each said sidewall having a rear spine member, each said sidewall being formed of interior, exterior, and core layers of resiliently deformable noncompressible material therebetween, said core layer of resiliently deformable noncompressible material being flexible and being substantially nonstretchable, adjustable securing means for securing said rear spine members together, selective adjustment means mounted to said rear spine members inside said interior space of said holster for selectively engaging a handgun located in said interior space to enable different shapes and sizes of handguns to occupy said interior space of said holster, and attachment means for securing said holster to a strap to be worn by a user of said holster.

18. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said rear spine members have upper portions each having a first passageway therethrough, said selective adjustment means comprising a rigid body member having a lower portion and an upper portion each having opposite sidewalls and a second passageway therethrough, said upper portion being narrower in width than said lower portion to define a space between said upper portions of said rear spine members and said opposite sidewalls of said body member, said selective adjustment means including securing means positioned through both said first passageways and said second passageway for pulling said rear spine members inwardly toward each other and said sidewalls of said body member toward each other to selectively narrow said interior space for adjusting the frictional engagement between said sidewalls of said holster and a handgun locatable in said space.

19. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said selective adjustment means includes a rigid body member and a movable engaging member carried by said body member, means for moving said engaging member against the surface of a handgun located in said holster for forcing a handgun against said interior layer adjacent said front spine member to secure a handgun inside said holster.

20. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said engaging member includes a movable arm member having an upper portion and a lower portion and pivot means for pivotally mounting said arm member to said body member at said lower portion of said arm member, and a rotatable wheel, axle means carried by said upper portion of said arm member for rotatably mounting said wheel thereon.

21. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said front spine member being formed to frictionally contact a handgun placed inside said holster at two spaced locations, one said location being adjacent the front top of a handgun and another said location being adjacent at the back top of a handgun.

22. The holster as defined in claim 21 wherein said front spine member being formed to frictionally contact a handgun in at least one contact point thereof when said engaging member is in contact with a handgun, said at least one contact point and said engaging member cooperating to secure a handgun in said holster.

23. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said front and rear spines are rigid.

24. The holster as defined in claim 17 wherein said front spine member is rigid and said rear spine member is substantially rigid and capable of being flexed upon application of a sufficient bending force.